Places You're Most Likely To Catch COVID-19—Ranked By Risk Level
We rank the places and activities where you’re most likely to catch Covid-19, from least risky to “Dangerous! Don’t do it!”
As we re-enter GCQ, restrictions will again become more relaxed. This is despite of the continuously growing Covid-19 total cases, which is, as of writing, at 202,361. On August 26, there were 5,277 new cases again, a bulk of it coming from NCR, Laguna, Rizal, and Cavite.
There are tons of reasons why the Philippines continues to be unable to curb its Covid-19 curve. As citizens, we may be at the mercy of local and national guidelines, and the continuous disregard of some for health and safety protocols. But what we can do is do our part, no matter how little it is in the grander scheme of things: that means staying masked, staying home, and staying away from places and activities that are proven hotspots of the virus.
In July, a team of doctors from the Texas Medical Association compiled all the activities—from stepping outside your home to receive packages to going out for a grocery run—and how much risk you’re putting yourself in by doing them.
Be informed. Know your risk. Stay safe. pic.twitter.com/t6G71wAHU6
— Texas Medical Association (@texmed) July 3, 2020
But what if you need to do your groceries? What if you need to eat out? What if you need to travel? For a more comprehensive guide on Covid-19 hotspots, how much risk you’re exposing yourself to, and what can you do to mitigate those risks, check out the gallery below.
Photo Gallery
Photo Gallery
Your front door (Low Risk)
Receiving packages and takeout food has been the new normal since we went into quarantine in March. But are you disinfecting these things that come from the outside before bringing them inside your home? Are you wearing a mask when stepping out of your door to receive the items? “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the risks of transmission of coronavirus from a package is very low, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible,” says Elliot Frank, M.D., an infectious disease specialist and medical director of quality and outcomes at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. As a general rule, if you’re touching items that someone else recently handled, then make sure you’re taking preventative measures like disinfecting the items you’re receiving and washing your hands immediately.
Photo Credit: Norma Mortenson/Pexels
Grocery (Low to Moderate Risk)
The more frequently and the longer you’re exposed to a lot of people, the more risk you’re exposing yourself to. To reduce your risk, try doing your grocery shopping at non-peak hours, or choose groceries with good protocols: plastic barriers between you and the cashier, wiping down of grocery carts, and implementation of social distancing. If possible, try to order your groceries online instead and have them delivered to you.
Photo Credit: Anna Shvets/Pexels
Parks (Low to Moderate Risk)
Parks have now reopened for people who would like to grab some fresh air, walk, or jog. To make sure you’re not exposing yourself to unnecessary risks, make sure you’re choosing parks with open spaces where there are less people. Parks around Metro Manila that have reopened for exercise purposes only include Luneta Park, Manila’s Rizal Park, and Quezon Memorial Circle. Luneta and Rizal Park have implemented QR Code check-ins for easier contact tracing.
Photo Credit: Lonely Planet
Hotels (Low to Moderate Risk)
Some hotels and B&Bs have now partially reopened to accept leisure stays such as Makati Shangri-La, Bayview Park Hotel Manila, Dusit Thani Manila, and Seda Hotels. However, each hotel and property has its own safety measures in place, so make sure you do your research beforehand so you’re staying with a hotel who implements the tightest safety and security measures. Even though accommodations and restaurants have reopened, many have decided to keep their gyms, pools, and spa services closed to minimize risk for guests.
Photo Credit: @makatishangrila
Your Friend’s House (Moderate Risk)
While small gatherings between friends and family are generally okay, going to another person’s house without knowing if they are carrying the virus or not is still risky. Even family members from another home may be carrying the virus. Just because they’re family, doesn’t mean they’re instantly virus-free. We’ve seen many get-togethers who have been very lax about wearing masks and social distancing—so don’t be one of them. Unless everyone in the room has been swab tested, you can never be sure.
Photo Credit: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels
Mall Stores (Moderate Risk)
It may be tempting to go shopping for clothes especially since many stores are now on super huge sales to pick-up their losses over the last year, but the indoor nature of a shopping mall, the enclosed spaces, the ventilation, and the high-touch points make store shopping risky. But if you must go out and shop, practice good shopping etiquette by not touching everything you’re not really interested in, and only fit a minimum number of clothes that you’re really keen to buy.
Photo Credit: Arturo Rey/Unsplash
Office (Moderate Risk)
Ultimately, Covid-19 risks will depend on the office space that you work in. Many essential workers may not have a choice, but it’s important to not forget about social distancing protocols and staying masked when you’re inside an enclosed office space. If possible, space all desks at least 6 feet apart, increase air flow by opening windows, redesign schedules to lower occupancy of each floor or area, and remove communal spaces and items such as the pantry, coffee machines, shared refs, water coolers, etc.
Photo Credit: Edmond Dantès/Pexels
Hair Salon (Moderate to High Risk)
Hair salons and barbershops remain Covid-19 hotspots since they are usually cramped spaces with many high-touch points. They’re also considered very risky by many doctors. “A hair salon is a place that, by its nature, requires close contact between at least two people, either of whom could be infected with the virus and not know it,” says David Aronoff, MD, director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee. So if you really must have your hair cut or styled, choose salons who have booking arrangements so you’re not sitting idly in the waiting area, waiting for your turn; and stick to services that won’t take long. Maybe you don’t need to have that rebond just yet since you’re staying at home all the time. A good option, too, is to have someone come to your home to cut or style your hair. Make sure to do it outside so they don’t come into contact with the inside of your home.
Photo Credit: The Hartford
Restaurants (Moderate to High Risk)
Although delivery services continue to reign in this Covid setup, some restaurants are already welcoming dine-in options. While the risk of getting Covid-19 from food is very low, you can get infected from everything else you touch or the nearby diners eating in the restaurant. In fact, there are many restaurants that have been tied to Covid-19 outbreaks all over the world such as SanTan Brewing in Arizona, McDonald’s in Colorado, Panda Express in Los Angeles, and more. Since it’s an enclosed space where everyone is taking off their masks to eat, make sure you’re dining in a restaurant with strict social distancing measures in place. Tables should be far out from each other, and strict hygiene protocols must be practiced at all times.
Photo Credit: Xinhua
Plane (Moderate to High Risk)
According to infectious disease expert and MD Dr. Sandra Kesh from CDC, air travel may be one of the riskiest activities you can do in the time of Covid. Until we have a vaccine for Covid-19, or unless you must absolutely do it, do not fly anywhere for now. During air travel, you’re exposing yourself to people from all over the world. Planes are also enclosed spaces where maintaining 6-feet distance may be impossible. Dr. Kesh also emphasizes the high stress that comes with air travel: “People are always worried about making their flight, going to the security checks—there's a lot of distraction. So the kind of focus that we are able to maintain with social distancing, the masks and hand hygiene, it sometimes goes out the window because your attention is scattered, it's noisy and you're trying to figure out where to go.”
Photo Credit: iStock
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